Asbestos removed from psychology lab

When work-study students at the Penn Resilience Project were assigned to clear out boxes from the basement of the Solomon Laboratories of Experimental Psychology building at 3720 Walnut Street in November, they were unaware that asbestos, a known carcinogen, lay within the cracked floor tiles of the dusty basement. However, they learned several weeks later that the room had been sealed off, and workers had begun asbestos abatement at the site. "At that point, I had no idea what had happened," said one work-study student who wished not to be identified by name. "I was pretty worried." Although the tiles in the floor did contain asbestos, University officials at the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety, which handles asbestos-related matters at Penn, said there is no reason for alarm. "The asbestos in the floor tile is tightly bound in the vinyl matrix of the tile," Associate Director of EHRS Laura Peller explained in an e-mail. "The asbestos fibers do not easily become airborne unless the tile is ground into pieces. When the tiles are intact, there is no health risk." The basement room of the building has been deemed safe and has since been reopened, according to Peller. Although the incident drew some alarm from students fearing they had been exposed, asbestos is not a rare finding on campus. "Asbestos-containing materials exist throughout the campus and are periodically inspected by" EHRS, Peller said. "Removals are conducted on an as-needed basis as determined by trained professionals." Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral containing silicon and was commonly used in thousands of products from the 1940s until it was linked to several forms of cancer. In 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency identified asbestos-containing materials -- which contain more than one percent asbestos -- as a "hazardous pollutant." However, because of its excellent noise and fire retardant properties, asbestos was used extensively in many buildings constructed prior to the 1970s -- including many on campus. Though extended exposure can lead to cancer, EPA documents state that "Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk." It is only when asbestos is released into the air in its fibrous form that danger arises. In most cases, if the asbestos-containing material is intact, costly removal processes -- which must be carried out by trained professionals -- are not usually necessary. Because some of the floor tiles in the basement of the building had come loose and needed replacing, the room was sealed off and specially trained crews were sent in to take care of the matter. When asbestos abatement is necessary on campus, Peller said EHRS follows a carefully regulated procedure. First, the room is sealed off, to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff. Then, after notifying Philadelphia's Department of Health, a certified asbestos contractor conducts the abatement process under the supervision of EHRS staff. After the room's air quality has been monitored and determined to be safe, the room is reopened. Before construction or renovations can begin on campus, certified asbestos officers first determine if the project might release asbestos. And while students said they have been somewhat reassured by the response of officials, some felt they should have been better informed about the issue. "I'm not that worried about exposure anymore, but I do wish they'd handled the situation differently," the work-study student said. "I would've assumed that people in the Psych Department could have at least informed us."

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